There are so many organizations in the United States that fail to recognize their female demographic and their potential to rise to C-level status within their company. It was proven that companies that practiced more gender-diversity had a fifteen percent more chance to outperform those that did not. The statistics also revealed that businesses that were ethically diverse outperformed other companies by thirty-five percent. The overall performance of both ethnic and gender-diverse companies were due to having more of an open-minded approach towards new ideas and working with many different perspectives. The female workforce in C-level positions are still almost next to nil compared to their male counterparts.

There are some success stories out there and Susan McGalla is one of them. She is the current Vice President of Business Strategy and Creative Development for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to her current leadership role, Susan McGalla started working as a divisional merchandise buyer for American Eagle Outfitters. She recalls that the company’s top positions were all dominated by males. She used her skills in marketing and swiftly moved up to managerial positions that ultimately led to her role as the company’s president before she left. As encouraging as this story is, many women leaders are now looking towards support networks where they can share what’s trending in their industry and more.

Susan P. McGalla is an executive consultant and the vice president of business strategy and creative development for the American football team, Pittsburgh Steelers. She was born in East Liverpool, Ohio and received her Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing after graduating from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio.

In 2009, she left American Eagle as company the president and launched her own private consultant firm that cater to retail fashion and financial investment industries. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Pittsburgh.